Template:Sideicon Matoya is a non-playable character from Final Fantasy XIV. An old rival of Louisoix Leveilleur, she was the mentor of Y'shtola Rhul.
Profile
Appearance
Matoya is an old hyur woman with gray hair. Due to her advanced age, she has a short stature and walks with a hunched posture.
Personality
In contrast to Louisoix's grandfatherly personality, Matoya is a crotchety old woman. Sharp-tongued, and with a bit of a taskmaster mentality, Matoya can be difficult to deal with. It is implied she refused to participate in the exodus to spite the Forum, which she clashed with many times in the past.
Matoya was known for her rivalry with Louisoix during their time in Sharlayan. She describes their relationship as akin to "rabid dogs", though remembers those times with fondness.
While Matoya may seem ungentle, her words are meant to have one see the hard realities of the journey and to steel one's resolve. Her ultimate advice to the Scions of the Seventh Dawn is that they should walk the path with their eyes open or not at all. Despite her harsh demeanor, she cares deeply for Y'shtola and misses her.
Story
Early life
Matoya was revered as one of Sharlayan's finest researchers, specializing in aetheric currents. Due to the threat of the Garlean Empire Matoya was tasked to develop a means to repel the invaders. The aether converger she created was deemed too dangerous and she retaliated by sealing a tome containing her research and placing it in the forbidden section of the Great Gubal Library.
When the Bibliothec faction convinced the Forum to evacuate the citizenry to the Sharlayan motherland, Matoya declined to participate, instead staying in her cave.
Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward
After Y'shtola is retrieved from the Lifestream and informed of current events, she suggests they visit her mentor for finding ways to bypass the force field around Azys Lla. Matoya is reunited with her protégée and introduced to both the Warrior of Light and Alphinaud Leveilleur (whom she initially mistakes as Louisoix's granddaughter).
She is surprised to hear Azys Lla namedropped, having recalled it being a subject from "musty old tomes" that both she and Louisoix discussed in the past. She explains the site was where the Allagan civilization conducted research into dealing with primals and dragons and mentions the aetheric converger concept she had developed may be of use for Cid Garlond to develop an aetheric ram and pierce Azys Lla's defenses.
While the Warrior of Light retrieves her research materials from the Great Gubal Library, Matoya tasks Y'shtola and Alphinaud with helping her. After the tome is retrieved, she removes an encryption enchantment on the book, enabling Cid to read it. As the group leaves, Matoya confronts Y'shtola about her blindness, and warns her that seeing with aether will drain her life force.
Following the awakening of Alexander in the Thaliak River, Y'shtola works with Matoya to find ways to control the flow of aether into the primal.
Musical themes
An arrangement of "Matoya's Cave" plays in the cave where Matoya lives.
Other appearances
Triple Triad
Matoya appears as a Normal Mode card in Triple Triad in the version playable via Final Fantasy Portal App.